Written statement by the Government Spokesman
Mr Nikos Christodoulides
The President of the Republic and the Government welcome the decision
by the new President of the European Commission Mr Jean-Claude Juncker for the
transfer of the Task Force for the Turkish Cypriot community from the
Directorate General for Enlargement to the Directorate General for Regional
Policy.
This decision rectifies a paradox within the European Commission
since 2006, in other words since the establishment of the Task Force, since the
issues relating to the territory of a member state, the Republic of Cyprus, were
being handled by the Directorate General for Enlargement which has as its main
subject the accession process of candidate states.
This anomaly and the disagreement of the Republic of Cyprus had been
pointed out and expressed repeatedly since 2006, and that is why we are
particularly pleased that one of our longtime objectives has been satisfied.
Beyond the political and legal significance of the fact that issues
relating to the Turkish Cypriot community will now be handled by the Directorate
General that deals with regional policy for the member states, we believe the
transfer of the Task Force to the Directorate General for Regional Policy will
render the Task Force more effective.
The Government wants to assure that it will continue to
work for the effective and successful implementation of the Green Line
Regulation and for the correct implementation of the Financial Regulation in a
way that will contribute to the efforts that are been made for the solution of
the Cyprus problem and the reunification of Cyprus, which after all is the main
objective of these legislative measures.
